TMB was also nominated as “Best Local Bank in Africa” in the African Banker Awards 2011. TMB entered the competition for the first time this year and was one of five banks shortlisted from a field of over one hundred.

“For a young, independent Congolese bank like TMB it is a great achievement to be shortlisted as one of the five best local banks in Africa along with banks which have over a century of experience or which are controlled by international banking giants,” says TMB Chairman Robert Levi.

As the first bank to “bank the unbanked” in the DRC, TMB is widely recognized as an innovator in the Congolese banking market. Moreover, whereas other banks restrict their operations to financial centers like Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, TMB has invested heavily in opening branches across the country, including in some of the most remote provinces of the country where TMB is the only bank present.

“This shows our commitment to being the local bank of the DRC. Due to the growing TMB branch network new communities can for the first time benefit from the provision of professional banking services. Our presence gives people the ability and confidence to invest further in their communities and we provide our customers with security. Furthermore, our entry into remote areas has caused a significant repricing of basic financial products in these markets,” concludes Oliver Meisenberg, CEO of Trust Merchant Bank.